Introduction:

A challenging trek to the Everest Base Camp through the Himalayan foothills brings you to the centre of many of the world's most beautiful mountains. The trek takes you through the lives and culture of the inspiring Sherpa people and stunning snow clad landscapes interspersed with waterfalls, forests, ancient Buddhist monuments and fairytale-like villages. With a graded ascent that allows you enough time for acclimatization, you’ll reach the Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu icefall after trekking along the Khumbu glacier.

At an altitude of 17,598 ft. (5,364 mts.), the Everest Base Camp will give you an unforgettable experience of eyeing the highest mountain peak in the world at close quarters. This famous rudimentary campsite is used by maverick mountain climbers, who usually set camp here for several days for acclimatization, during their ascent and descent to and from the highest mountain in the world and is made up of lines of tents with supplies carried by Sherpas or with the help of animals.

One of the highlights of this exploration are the inviting yet humbling views of Lhotse and Nuptse and the south west face of the colossal Mt. Everest from the summit of Kala Patthar.

EXPEDITION MAP:

Itinerary:

Day 01: Your Port of Embarkation to Kathmandu
A Nomadier representative will be waiting for your flight to land at Tribhuvan International Airport and welcome you to the beautiful country of Nepal. You will then be transferred to your hotel and assisted in the check-in process as well. Your expedition permits and if you book them through Nomadier, flight tickets to and from Lukla, will be handed over to you in the hotel room itself. You can choose to spend the evening roaming the streets of Kathmandu, go shopping in Thamel for your trekking/mountaineering gear and clothing or just relaxing in your room. Overnight at hotel.

Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and situated in a valley, approximately at a height of 4,600 ft., surrounded by four major mountains namely Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri. The city is the gateway to Nepal Tourism and the centre of the country’s economy. Its history dates back to over 2000 years ago and it was on the ancient trade route between India and Tibet which caused a fusion of artistic and architectural traditions of other cultures that can be witnessed even today.

Day 02: Kathmandu to Lukla to Phakding
Today is your flight to Lukla and our representative will transfer you to the domestic airport in Kathmandu and see you off. Your flight to Lukla and especially landing at the Lukla airport is a fair indicator of the adventure in store ahead. The airstrip at Lukla is one of the highest in the world with an altitude of 9,350 ft. (2,850 mts.) and was built by the Sherpas under the supervision of Sir Edmund Hillary who along with Tenzing Norgay was the first to climb Mt. Everest. It is very tricky for pilots to land planes here as it is one of the shortest and most dangerous airstrips in the world and has a rock wall at the end of the airstrip! On arrival, you will be met by a Nomadier representative who will introduce you to the Expedition Guide, other members in your Group and your Support Staff. He will give you basic tips and guidance and will also answer all your queries. After a light breakfast, you’ll begin your trek to Phakding.

Phakding is around half day’s walk from Lukla and this initial part of the trek is a good acclimatizer for the tougher challenges ahead. Along this route are views of Mt. Nupla (5,885 mts.) Kusum Kangaru (6,367 mts.) and the Kwongde range and you will also cross several Mani stone walls which are revered by the Buddhists. You would always pass them through from your left-hand side. These walls are made from stone tablets and carved boulders and are beautifully painted with bright colors. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Lukla
Lukla means a place having many goats and sheep but only a few are found in the area today. An old Sherpa monastery, built around the start of 19th century by Lama Kyamgon-Deltsen-Donden is situated in Lukla. Lukla also boasts of the Pasang Lhamu Nicole-Nicky Hospital which was established in honor of the first Nepalese women to summit Mount Everest, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa and the first Swiss mountain guide, Nichole Nicky.

Phakding
Phakding is located between Lukla and Namche and is a good place to stop by for a meal. It is also the first overnight stay for most trekkers in the region. Located centrally in Phakding is the Rimijung Monastery established by a Sherpa Lama, Khempo Dorje in the 16th century. The village is bisected by the Dudh Kosi or Milk River and the Pema Choeling Monastery is only a short distance away and worth visiting.

Day 03: Phakding to Namche
The route from Phakding to Namche is along the riverbanks of the Dudh Kosi and should take you around 5-6 hours to traverse. Crossing the river on suspensions bridges, and ascending trough rhododendron, magnolia and giant fir trees, you arrive at Namche Bazaar (3,441 mts.). All routes to Mt. Everest have to pass through here and hence facilities are well-developed. The town is built around a spring which acts as the only water source and has many interesting shops and vendors and exquisite views of the surrounding mountains. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Namche

Namche is a famous town in the Everest region, which every mountaineer has to pass through, on their way to Mt. Everest. The town is called Nauche by the Sherpas and is possibly derived from Nakmuche or Nakuche which mean ‘big dark forest’, something Namche once was. Today, it is the administrative headquarters of the area and boasts of an electricity system installed by UNESCO that uses separate grids for day and night usage. The Saturday Markets are a highlight and a weekly get-together for the Sherpas with trading and bartering of supplies, which have been carried up the mountain from the lower villages, in full flow.

Day 04: Rest in Namche and Sightseeing
Today is a day of rest which is very important to allow the body to get used to the altitude. You are free to walk around the village and on a clear day, take in gorgeous views of sunrises and sunsets on the snow clad mountains all around. There are many lodges in Namche with a variety of culinary delights and the yak steak is simply not worth missing. Namche also has a privately run heritage display of the traditional Sherpa lifestyle, The Sherpa Cultural Centre. Overnight at a lodge.

Day 05: Namche to Deboche via Tengboche
The trail to Tengboche (also spelled as Thyangboche) is quite broad for the Everest region and is located high above a river making it one of the most beautiful sections of your trek. You will pass forests that are home to the famous diminutive Musk deer and reach Tengboche, the cultural and religious hub for the people of Solo-Khumbu. Deboche or Devoche is only a 20 minute walk away, where you will spend the night in a lodge.

Tengboche
Tengboche or Thyangboche is seated at an altitude of 3,860 mts. (12,664 ft.) in a clearing surrounded by dwarf firs and rhododendrons and is home to the Tengboche Gompa, venue for the Mani Rimdu dance festival in late October or early November. Apparently the structure was first built in 1923 but has been destroyed by earthquakes and fires over the years and subsequently rebuilt. It is a must for every expedition to Mt. Everest to offer prayers over here for their success and safe return. From the famous Gompa, one can have a panoramic view of the Himalayas comprising Kwongde (6,187 mts.), Tawache (6,542 mts.), Everest (8,850 mts.), Nuptse (7,855 mts.), Lhotse (8,618 mts.), Amadablam (6,856 mts.) and Thamserku (6,608 mts.) as well look at the route taken to reach Tengboche. The village, sitting on a hill at the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Imja Khola rivers, is surrounded by satellite dwellings and is a locale for the finest mountain scenery in the Himalayas.

Deboche

Deboche/Devoche at an altitude of 3,770 mts. / 12,123 ft. offers superb views of Khumbui Yul Lha which looks formidable. A small nunnery is also present here behind a picturesque barrier of trees. They are also a few other hamlets nearby and a spectacular little gorge which can be crossed on a short suspension bridge.

Day 06: Deboche to Dingboche
After leaving Deboche, you’ll walk towards Dingboche and towards the 5,000 mts. mark. You would come across a suspension bridge at Imja Khola. From there you would then climb upto Pangboche amongst the beautiful scenes that surround you. As you keep moving forward you will come across a river which you will have to cross. From there you would move towards the right corner of the valley and reach Dingboche. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Dingboche

Dingboche is a village in Chhukhung Valley and a popular stop for trekkers and climbers on their way to Mt. Everest to get acclimatized to the rapidly increasing altitude. The Imja River flows directly east of Dingboche which comprises mostly of lodges for trekkers. Since it is above the tree line, the village lacks the greenery of the villages below. Tsampa or flour made from barley is a specialty of Dingboche as it is the single barley-growing area in the Solo-Khumbu with the right soil and a reliable water source.

Day 07: Dingboche to Lobuche
The route from Dingboche to Lobuche brings you to just within 60 mts. of the 5,000 mts. altitudes and you’ll traverse beautiful bridges on you way up to this village. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Lobuche

Lobuche at 4,940 mts. (16,207 ft.) can touch -20° Celsius in winter nights but is quite pleasant once the sun is out. Set on the slopes of a valley, it will often surprise you with the availability of foreign chocolates, energy bars and dehydrated foods. This anomaly is because returning expeditions from well above sell off their surplus food to the lodges here. The small moraine towards Nuptse offers scenic sunset views while the moraine immediately north of the Phu is a stiff climb that’s a little larger than it first looks but offers a few surprises, a close and spectacular Lobuche Glacier. The grassy slopes behind Lobuche are also worth the climb and you can attempt the three rock pinnacles, each harder than the last, for great views.

Day 08: Lobuche to Gorakhshep
From Lobuche, your trek to Gorakhshep should take about 2-3 hours and on the way you’ll cross 5,000 mts. in altitude. Initially, the trail seems easy and smooth but then it climbs, with many twists and turns, to the moraine of the Khangri Glacier. After this rough stretch, the trail again eases out and drops to the sandy plains of Gorakhshep at an altitude of 5,170 mts. (16,962 ft.). Overnight stay at a lodge.

Gorakhshep

Gorakhshep, a frozen lakebed covered with sand near Mt. Everest is the final acclimatization stop on treks to Everest Base Camp. The Dalai Lama called Gorakhshep "the steps to heaven" as it is ideal ground for an ascent to Kala Patthar. Gorakhshep interestingly means ‘Dead Ravens’. There are some simple lodges with abundant supplies of biscuits and tea, in addition to menus that include the most expensive Coke in Nepal. On a November night the temperature inside a lodge could plummet to as low as -20°C / -3°F

Day 09: Gorakhshep to Everest Base Camp to Gorakhshep
Your day of reckoning keeps you excited all throughout the previous night and you set out in the morning on a very rough trail that is also quite easy to lose. You have to drop down a challenging moraine north of Gorakhsheps’s sandy plains and then move right to the middle of the glacier. At the Everest Base Camp, you can meet other expeditions and experience the aura of this famous camp before your return trek to Gorakhshep for overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 10: Gorakhshep to Kala Patthar to Lobuche
Kala Patthar which translates as ‘Black Rock’ is one of the few great view points for Mt. Everest and the Khumbu Icefall. Although photographs from this perch are commonly sold, standing there for real and watching the colossal up and ahead is quite something else. Stop and look for the two trails up Kala Patthar before crossing the sand. The one that heads straight up leads to the slightly lower and easier peak at 5,554 mts. / 18,222 ft. while the trail that traverses and climbs leads to the more northern peak, approximately 5,643 mts. / 18,514 ft. high. Where the two trails begin is a small spring, the only reliable source around here and the water is delicious. There are a couple of friendly black dogs that often come up here from Pheriche. After your summit, you’ll trek back down and continue to Lobuche for the overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 11: Lobuche to Pangboche
At Pangboche (4,000 mts. or 13,123 ft.), the few houses that remain are all clustered around an old Gompa and the whole village is surrounded by gigantic juniper trees. According to legend, Lama Sange Dorje once tossed a handful of his hair into the wild here and the junipers were born. Pangboche means ‘grass fields’ but today only a few cultivated potatoes and radish can be found here along with an abundance of wild mushrooms. The Gompa is believed to be around 450 years old, which makes it the oldest Sherpa Gompa. Many trekkers take the opportunity to have a look around, hoping to see the ‘yeti’ scalp kept here but it disappeared in 1991, presumably stolen. However it’s worth coming up here just to see the Gompa. The lama or his wife are usually close by to let you in and you should, of course, leave a donation. Firewood collection in Pangboche is still well organized. Dead wood is collected from the opposite side of the valley from selected spots and when the supply thins another part of the forest is used. Yak dung, a valuable fertilizer, is now also used as fuel, something that started with the arrival of trekkers. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 12: Pangboche to Khumjung
Khumjung at an altitude of 3,790 mts. (12,434 ft.) is a beautiful little place that soothes your senses after the trek from Pangboche. This is a picturesque village with many beautiful houses and the direct impact of tourism is low (few trekkers stay here) but every family has some involvement with the trekking industry and hence the apparent wealth. Khumjung’s Gompa is at the top end of town amid a pleasant stand of protected trees. Surprisingly, there is a school in Khumjung, now expanded to a considerable size, but which was first built by Sir Edmund Hillary with a little help from his friends. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 13: Khumjung to Monjo
Khumjung to Monjo is a pleasant walk. Enroute you would pass through beautiful yak pastures and broad trails to reach Shyangboche airstrip before trekking down to Namche. Crossing Namche you would be required to descend steeply. You would walk past big Mani walls and stone carvings, as you take in the breathtaking views of Thamaserku and Kwadgi-ri. As you keep moving ahead you would reach the river bank of Jorsalle. As you keep walking along the river bank you would come across the national park before continuing on to Monjo (2,815 mts. / 9,235 ft.). There are few lodges in this village and a few simple inns and tea shacks. Signs welcoming donations herald a monastery situated a hundred metres or so off the main trail. The gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park is also in very close proximity. Overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 14: Monjo to Lukla
Back in Lukla, you feel as if you have returned to the plains only to realize that you’re still close to 10,000 ft. above sea level. In the evening you prepare for your journey to Kathmandu as you take away with you, beautiful memories that will stay with you forever. A Nomadier representative will see you off at the airport the next day.

Day 15: Lukla to Kathmandu
Back in Kathmandu, a Nomadier representative will receive you at the Domestic Airport, transfer you to your hotel and help in the check-in. The rest of the day is left free for you to recover from the recent strain or for the super-fit, walk around in the city. Overnight at hotel.

Day 16: Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Kathmandu is a wonderful place for sightseeing and you’ll spend half of this day visiting the major and most renowned sights in the city like Pashupatinath, Bodhnath, Swayambhunath and Durbar Square. This extra day will also acts a contingency if bad weather delays your flights to Kathmandu from Lukla and reduces the chances of you having to reschedule your international flight tickets. In the evening, you can choose to go shopping for mementos and local craft as a remembrance or just relax in your room. Overnight at hotel.

Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath is Nepal’s most important Hindu temple and stands on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. The temple is located 100 mts. away from the end of the runaway at Kathmandu’s International Airport and is a powerhouse of Hindu spiritual power to where, devotees of Shiva and Sadhus flock from across the entire sub-continent. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temples but the surrounding complex of Shaivite shrines, Lingams and Ghats (stone steps) is fascinating and definitely worth the visit.

Bodhnath
Famed for its Stupa, Bodhnath pulsates with life as thousands of pilgrims gather daily to make a ritual circumnavigation of the dome beneath the watchful eyes of the Buddha. This is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan Buddhist culture is accessible and unfettered. The lanes around the Stupa are crammed with Monasteries and workshops that make butter lamps, ceremonial horns, Tibetan drums, singing bowls, plumed hats for Lamas and other essential Buddhist paraphernalia.

Swayambhunath
Swayambhunath is a place that offers one of the definitive experiences in Kathmandu. This sacred locale, a monkey temple, is always mobbed by monkeys and is a chaotic jumble of Hindu and Buddhist iconography. A gleaming white Stupa makes for its centre and is topped by a gilded spire painted with the eyes of the Buddha. What makes it an absorbing experience are the ancient carvings made into every spare inch of space and the smell of incense and butter lamps hanging heavy in the air.

Durbar Square

In history, Durbar square was the king’s seat of ruling and it is here that kings were crowned and their undisputed authority legitimized. Today, it is the traditional heart of the old town and still boasts of some of the world’s most spectacular architecture. The entire square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is made up of three loosely linked squares and many terraced platforms which make for a great spot to view Kathmandu in motion.

Day 17: Kathmandu to Your Port of Destination
Today is the last day of an exhilarating part of your life as you leave Kathmandu. A Nomadier representative will transfer you to the international airport and wish you goodbye.